[Update: Danwei has a very good summary of articles on this topic.]

It could be that I spent too much time at my local watering hole (The Brick, Shuangjing — highly recommended) this evening, but it just doesn’t seem like the legislature here should be wasting their time with stuff like this:

Dog and cat meat – age-old delicacies in China – could be off the menu in the food-loving nation under its first law against animal abuse, state press said on Tuesday.

People who eat either animal, both of which are viewed as promoting bodily warmth, would face fines of up to 5 000 yuan ($730 or $5 540) and up to 15 days in jail if the law is passed, the Chongqing Evening News said.

It said “organisations” involved in the practice would be fined from 10 000 to 500 000 yuan. The report gave no other details.

The law has been at the drafting stage over the past year and the report did not make clear when the legislation was expected to become law.

You know, if such a law was passed, I don’t think that it would have much of an effect on Beijing or points north (i.e. most Dongbeiren). On the other hand, Guangdong folks might have a wee problem with this sort of culinary totalitarianism.

Just for the record, my wife’s response to this topic was: “Sure, they want to pass a law against eating cats and dogs, but there is still nothing stopping people from animal cruelty. How about addressing that first?”

Can’t argue with that.